La Jefa Café
Mexican restaurant · Rittenhouse
1605 Latimer St, Philadelphia, PA 19103
Highlights
Cafe serving creative Mexican dishes, coffee & cocktails
Cafe serving creative Mexican dishes, coffee & cocktails
"Rittenhouse’s La Jefa opened with a lot of anticipation—after all, it’s the sibling of the beautiful (and much-beloved) Tequila’s. But this all-day cafe stands out on its own thanks to its Mexican-inspired breakfast and baked goods. The sit-down menu is full of hits: chilaquiles with pickled ayocote folded into a perfect omelette, an oat and fruit bowl punched up by turmeric milk, and a zesty zucchini sandwich topped with cilantro pesto and pepper relish. You’ll want to lounge for an hour or two in the airy, tile-filled dining room, but if you have to take your totomoxtle latte to go, be sure to grab a blackberry concha, too (the pastries here are knockouts). Dinner service in the sexy second dining area hasn’t started yet, but we can’t wait to see if La Jefa is this good come nighttime." - candis mclean, alison kessler, candis mclean, candis mclean, alison kessler, candis mclean, candis mclean, candis mclean, alison kessler, candis mclean, alison kessler, candis mclean, alison kessler
"La Jefa comes from the team behind Rittenhouse institution, Tequila’s—in fact, they share a kitchen. For now, La Jefa is a daytime café with a menu of Mexican espresso drinks and food options like chilaquiles, barbacoa sandwiches, and house-baked concha (dinner will roll out later). There’s also a cocktail menu if you’re a three-micheladas-with-brunch kind of person. We checked out La Jefa and added it to the Hit List." - candis mclean, alison kessler
"La Jefa opened with a lot of anticipation—after all, it’s the sibling of the beautiful (and much-beloved) Tequila’s. By day, this cafe stands out on its own thanks to its fantastic Mexican-inspired breakfast and baked goods. But come nightfall, the lights go dim, the music borders on clubstaurant volume, and it turns into a sexy spot for date night. Skip the larger plates and opt for a snacky dinner of starters: the shrimp aguachile is punchy, the carnitas vampiro are served with a silky guacachile, and you'll fight over the last of the caesar slaw with the taco dorado. If you don't have time for a full meal, at least try one of the fantastic cocktails." - candis mclean, alison kessler
"An issue with brunch in this town is it’s (almost) never boozy enough. Enter La Jefa, the new all-day cafe and restaurant from the team behind Tequila’s. It’s chic and sexy, and takes its breakfast cocktails and coffee as seriously as its conchas. And if you can’t make it in the AM, go for date night—split the aguachile, carnitas vampiro, and a few of those stunning drinks." - alison kessler, candis mclean
"After a fire-related two-year closure that resulted in a full redesign, Tequilas is back and better than ever. You’ll find classic Mexican dishes like Caesar salad (which was founded in Tijuana), cochinita, chile relleno, enchiladas suizas, and more. Newly opened sibling La Jefa serves food the team is calling Guadaladelphian, which explores culinary connections between Philly and Guadalajara. Think lonches, which are big Mexican sandwiches, plus Mexican coffee, fresh-pressed fluffy juices, and all-day natural wines. In the evening, the space transforms into one of the most ambitious cocktail bars in Philly." - Maddy Sweitzer-Lamme
